Friday 19 August 2016

So then...

Where is all this rain we have been promised. I'm sure the rest of you have had enough but our soil is now bone dry down to around 12" (30cm) and all fruit is dropping off as the trees just cannot cope. We have hardly had any good rain for weeks now, just the odd shower then it stops.

I can't keep watering as we are on a meter and the butts are getting more and more empty:(

On a slightly different note, I think I mentioned a while ago that we are both finding it slightly more difficult to keep on top of the garden, particularly this year with it needing constant attention, weeding, cutting back, watering etc. With that in mind, we have begun to close down small areas.

We have two fruit arches in the back garden, each with many flowers growing under the trees. Here is an example which still has to be finished:
Now, everything has been removed including hopefully all the Spring bulbs, manure added as a thin top layer, weed membrane placed, all watered, then gravel added:

So much better and far less work in future. Bulges may appear next year where we have missed things but hopefully, not too many. The trees will now have to cope with wood ash, blood, fish & bone and liquid feeding!

Down the left hand side where there are more fruit trees, again, nearly all plants have been removed:
A few were left that don't grow too high and fall over the cane fence. We shall now plant this up with Autumn, Winter and possibly Spring heathers. Our soil cannot support the summer ones.

Weather permitting, have a good weekend folks.


8 comments:

  1. Today the rain has been in Dorset. Lots.

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    1. Possibly lucky you? Doubt we have had 1/10th of an inch:(

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  2. Good idea. I am definitely cutting down on veg growing next year especially with the watering and also on a meter.

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    1. Vegetables have been rubbish this year, good job we can afford to buy them!

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  3. Like you, my province has not had a good rain since the 10th of July. We could use an inch or two (no more as flooding is liable to occur as for some reason the city system can't keep up).

    The veggie garden did not do as well this year due to the lack of rain, and we were so busy cleaning up after the basement flood that we did not have time to water.

    God bless.

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    Replies
    1. Gosh, one extreme to the other, difficult isn't it?

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  4. 24 hours later and it's chucking it down here in Essex, thank goodness xxx

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